How music helps productivity (and your mental health)
Music is the source of so much joy in our lives, and it is an incredible form of self-expression that allows you to play through every possible emotion. However, is it able to help productivity and, if so, how?
The short answer to the first part of that question is yes, music can help us to be more productive, and the “how” is all in the kind of music that you decide to listen to. Stay a while and take a look at how music helps productivity and can have an impact on multiple aspects of our mind.
Helping you focus on studies and work
The evening may have come, and you’re officially free from your daytime responsibilities, but that doesn’t stop the fact that you are often left with extra work to do afterwards or over the weekend – both for those who are in school and at work. It can be hard to get in the groove, and not everyone likes to work in silence, so you might want to try music out.
Music is able to access the pleasure receptors in our brains, producing things like dopamine – which is responsible for making us feel good when we do things we enjoy. This means that you get a little motivational boost, as well as one for your mood, leaving you feeling more focused as well as willing to get on with the task at hand. You’ve got to listen to the right music though, something we look at a little later.
Improving your mental health
Poor mental health has an impact on how well we can focus on things, and music has a role to play in this situation as well. Listening to music lowers the amount of cortisol (stress hormone) that is produced by our bodies, as well as heart rate and blood pressure.
If you listen to tunes with a slow and steady beat, you get the best results, and it will leave you feeling far more tranquil than you were before. All you need to do is close your eyes and sit back while the music takes effect. We mentioned the effects of dopamine in the previous section, and studies have shown that increased levels are perfect for tackling depression.
What to listen to for concentration
If you are looking to concentrate and generally improve your focus while you work, it is good to know which music is best for the job. Studies have shown that if you are going to listen to anything, classical or the sounds of nature are your best bet. Not only are these naturally more relaxing to listen to, but they also have no lyrics to distract you from the task at hand.
However, if neither of these things is enjoyable for you, there is something else you can try. It has been shown that if you listen to music you enjoy, you can work effectively and without too much distraction (if any), it is all down to personal preference and the way your mind works. However, playing music that you dislike can have an opposite effect, so don’t throw on anything you hate as it may just end up distracting you more.
To conclude
With the right tracks, you can kill two birds with one stone – improving both productivity and your mental health. Music is the greatest healer, and if this article has shown anything, it’s that there is a lot it can do for our minds. In fact, we have written detailed guides on the impact music has on mental health, as well as how it helps with study and overall productivity. We recommend checking them out if you want to learn more about their effect on us.
